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#1 2009-03-16 23:35:27

archibo
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Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Arch without Xorg

I have a very low end machine that does not like Xorg.  The machine has a fresh Arch installed and wireless is up and running.

This bare bones Arch needs a few programs that do not require Xorg.  Hopefully, these programs will allow Arch to preform some work and automate the wireless on boot. 

I suppose -- I'm asking is there any Arch users out there that may have gone down this road before?

Last edited by archibo (2009-03-16 23:37:39)


waynev

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#2 2009-03-17 00:08:37

ogronom
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From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: 2008-05-06
Posts: 123

Re: Arch without Xorg

I used Arch as a backup and calculator server for a while. Everything was great. I didn't use wireless there but wireless-tools are great and don't require X (I use them parallel with wicd on my laptop).

P.S. I'm not sure, but I think there several projects like tinyX, smallX, Xmesa that provides you lightweight X. I ddn't try them myself, still they can be helpfull.
Check DSL, Slitaz, Deli linux and Vector linux distributions that are designed to have a light-desktop. I think some ideas can be used in Arch to get lightX enviroment. (The goal of Deli linux is to provide linux desktop on old machines, and they use pacman)

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#3 2009-03-17 00:38:30

skottish
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From: Here
Registered: 2006-06-16
Posts: 7,942

Re: Arch without Xorg

For automating wireless, check out netcfg written by Arch's iphitus.

You can get a fully functional Arch machine without a X server. If you need some graphical stuff, you can run all sorts of things in a framebuffer. XFCE doesn't even need X.

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#4 2009-03-17 00:41:32

sand_man
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From: Australia
Registered: 2008-06-10
Posts: 2,164

Re: Arch without Xorg

My server has no X installed. I just use it as an NFS server and a squid proxy server.
It's also headless. I only access it via ssh.

Last edited by sand_man (2009-03-17 00:41:56)


neutral

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#5 2009-03-17 01:07:20

tomk
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From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: Arch without Xorg

If you could expand on that "perform some work" requirement, you might get more useful answers. I have two X-less Arch boxes doing all kinds of things, but apart from wifi-on-boot, we don't know what you're looking for.

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#6 2009-03-17 01:11:43

archibo
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Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Re: Arch without Xorg

Thanks: ogronom; skottish and sand_man the info you post is what I needed.
 
Now the fun begins


waynev

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#7 2009-03-17 01:42:20

jt512
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Registered: 2009-02-19
Posts: 262

Re: Arch without Xorg

skottish wrote:

For automating wireless, check out netcfg written by Arch's iphitus.

Or just configure wireless in rc.conf?

If you need some graphical stuff, you can run all sorts of things in a framebuffer.

Can you elaborate or point me to more information on that?  I have an X-less Arch box that it would occasionally be convenient to run a graphical program on.

Jay

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#8 2009-03-17 01:46:28

archlinuxsagi
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Registered: 2008-09-12
Posts: 259

Re: Arch without Xorg

i believe www.archlinux.org is running xless too.

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#9 2009-03-17 02:00:12

archibo
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Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Re: Arch without Xorg

tomk wrote:

If you could expand on that "perform some work" requirement, you might get more useful answers. I have two X-less Arch boxes doing all kinds of things, but apart from wifi-on-boot, we don't know what you're looking for.

Of course you are correct tomk, I wasn't very detailed.  However, I suppose - I was simply asking for an opinion as to wheather or not the project was feasible, and apparently it is - so I'll dig about and climb a steep learning curve, but that's the fun of it.


waynev

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#10 2009-03-17 02:14:08

ogronom
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From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: 2008-05-06
Posts: 123

Re: Arch without Xorg

Any Linux can be used as a non-X enviroment (more or less suitable depends on "minimal" installation)

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#11 2009-03-17 06:41:04

u_no_hu
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Registered: 2008-06-15
Posts: 453

Re: Arch without Xorg

You may want to check this out  http://kmandla.wordpress.com/ . A great resource for command line systems and low end machines. But he favors crux on old machines. You may like to try that also.


Don't be a HELP VAMPIRE. Please search before you ask.

Subscribe to The Arch Daily News.

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#12 2009-03-17 10:11:57

fatblueduck
Member
From: Long Beach
Registered: 2005-04-20
Posts: 39

Re: Arch without Xorg

Hey archibo,

I did the no-Xorg-thing a few years ago on a very old machine and I'm doing it now on an eeepc. Terminal replacements of desktop apps; links, irssi, moc, vim, rtorrent, mplayer, screen, ssh. I've heard that emacs instances with multiple buffers can be used in an almost desktop-like way of handling multiple windows...

1) programming and 2) streaming music from the internet. Without X, you'll probably use the machine for those two things most often.

Also, try the knoppix-std live cd. Its an old cd with 2.4 kernel and xfree86, but sometimes (often) it works very well with older laptops that don't get support from newer linux drivers (Let's hope you're machine does not predate optical drives).

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#13 2009-03-19 17:05:02

archibo
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Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Re: Arch without Xorg

Thanks' everyone,  I appreciate your interest and your helpful post:)


waynev

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#14 2009-03-20 21:53:51

stbill
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Registered: 2009-03-20
Posts: 4

Re: Arch without Xorg

Hi

I'm new to Arch, but I just set up Arch Linux under VMware 6.5 on Windows XP. If you are just using the computer as a server, then you don't need X. However, if it is your main system that you'll be using, you will soon find out that a personal PC is more or less useless these days without a browser (links/lynx won't cut it).

Anyway, there is a wiki page on VMware and I wrote a little blog about my setup here:http://mrhandsome.org/blog/2009/03/arch … d-windows/

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#15 2009-03-21 02:43:01

archibo
Member
Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Re: Arch without Xorg

u_no_hu wrote:

You may want to check this out  http://kmandla.wordpress.com/ . A great resource for command line systems and low end machines. But he favors crux on old machines. You may like to try that also.

Thanks for the link u_no_hu, I thoroughly enjoy kmandlas' insights and prose.


waynev

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#16 2009-03-21 02:50:46

archibo
Member
Registered: 2009-03-07
Posts: 10

Re: Arch without Xorg

stbill wrote:

Hi

I'm new to Arch, but I just set up Arch Linux under VMware 6.5 on Windows XP. If you are just using the computer as a server, then you don't need X. However, if it is your main system that you'll be using, you will soon find out that a personal PC is more or less useless these days without a browser (links/lynx won't cut it).

Anyway, there is a wiki page on VMware and I wrote a little blog about my setup here:http://mrhandsome.org/blog/2009/03/arch … d-windows/

Your right of course, but I want to explore the possibilities of computing without X.  My mind drifts to the golden days of DOS, I reminisce forgive me:D   I checked out the link you provided, very good:)

Last edited by archibo (2009-03-21 03:37:14)


waynev

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#17 2009-06-04 10:22:54

leo2501
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From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2007-07-07
Posts: 658

Re: Arch without Xorg

skottish wrote:

For automating wireless, check out netcfg written by Arch's iphitus.

You can get a fully functional Arch machine without a X server. If you need some graphical stuff, you can run all sorts of things in a framebuffer. XFCE doesn't even need X.

i wanna know about that framebuffer thing! smile X is dying on me with the 7.4 + intel drivers, so i wanna try alternatives


Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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#18 2009-06-04 10:55:33

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Arch without Xorg

There's also Xvesa. IIRC Slitaz is using it.

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#19 2009-06-04 11:30:17

leo2501
Member
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2007-07-07
Posts: 658

Re: Arch without Xorg

i can't find it in the repos, only the vesa driver, but for sure that xvesa doesn't have hardware acceleration like directfb, i wanna know how to use it smile


Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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#20 2009-06-04 11:45:26

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Arch without Xorg

You're sooo spoiled, leo2501 ;-) The kids those days ...
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Uvesafb

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#21 2009-06-04 11:50:48

leo2501
Member
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2007-07-07
Posts: 658

Re: Arch without Xorg

aaaah... i already tried that, and a lot of more things with X, i supposed you mean framebuffer alternatives but (as the title of the post says)... without Xorg tongue


Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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#22 2009-06-04 11:52:52

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: Arch without Xorg

OK, OK, I give up :-)

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#23 2009-06-05 08:17:14

rwd
Member
Registered: 2009-02-08
Posts: 664

Re: Arch without Xorg

You could also use some web-based admin tool.

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